Newsflash: Bongbong Marcos is a Philippine SENATOR!

Without a doubt, Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr is doing his country proud. He has saved the Philippines from the clutches of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (in the current form President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III and his minions railroaded through the House of Representatives). He has, in the process, demonstrated an ironic allegiance to the Philippine Constitution — a national charter that was crafted under the watch of no less than President BS Aquino’s mother, former President Corazon ‘Cory’ Aquino.

As chief Senate reviewer of the proposed BBL, the junior Marcos exhibited the sort of statesmanship and diplomacy that the original Malacanang negotiating team led by Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles and Miriam Coronel-Ferrer utterly lacked. Over the course of the review, Senator Marcos tirelessly travelled all over the country to consult with everyone potentially affected by the proposed law that would have seen a vast chunk of Mindanao ceded unto the hands of the terrorist Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The outcome of the investigation is nothing short of conclusive. The BBL is unworkable and would have resulted in an outcome the opposite of what its authors promised the Filipino people.

Despite these achievements, however, many Filipinos continue to hate Senator Bongbong Marcos. Why? Because of his surname. Senator Marcos’s father was the late former President Ferdinand E Marcos. Filipinos cannot seem to see past that fact. That is strange, because many of these people are the same people who are advocates of “voter education”. A cornerstone of this initiative to develop an intelligent vote in the Philippines is to change the way Filipino voters evaluate candidates running for office. Voter education champions encourage Filipinos to ditch their traditional practice of voting on the basis of name- and face-recall in favour of qualifications and record of achievement.

Clearly, Senator Marcos has achieved a lot in the last couple of years. In fact, he’s achieved a lot more in the last six months than many Philippine senators have achieved over the entirety of their term in office.

Yet, to his detractors, he is still and only just “a Marcos”. That’s, quite simply, being small-minded.

Then again, it makes sense of course. Filipinos are predominantly Roman Catholic. Catholics live by the baffling notion that babies are not born innocent. They believe babies are born guilty of Original Sin. To erase that “sin”, no less than the Son of God needed to be put up as human sacrifice to appease his own father.

That explains the primitivist way Filipinos continue to regard Senator Bongbong Marcos. In Filipinos’ minds, Bongbong is guilty of his father’s alleged sins.

So for arguments’ sake, perhaps we should ask ourselves: What does Senator Bongbong Marcos need to do to absolve himself of his father’s sins?

It seems saving the Philippines from President BS Aquino’s version of the BBL was not enough. Bagging the Nobel Peace Prize following a possibly successful enactment of a new version of the BBL perhaps?

Seriously (not to say that the Prize in Marcos’s hands is an impossibility), unlike the divine intervention needed to absolve Catholic babies of their guilt, no miracle is really needed to erase the stigma of being “a Marcos” that Bongbong bears. Senator Marcos simply needs to work harder and deliver more results. And so far as we’ve seen, he has demonstrated that stepping up to those challenges does not faze him at all.

Perhaps it is time to regard our politicians using a different way of thinking.

You see, it is only when Filipinos become pro-achievement first before being merely and only pro-[insert politician’s name here] that we can hold hand to heart and claim to be a real democracy.

Bongbong’s surname is a double-edged sword. It could be a gift, or a curse.

As history already suggested, the name Marcos has become synonymous to tyranny and corruption, but at the same time it is also synonymous to greatness/ excellence and effectiveness (at least, to the Marcos loyalists).

All in all, we shouldn’t immediately scrutinize a politician just because of his surname. We must examine what he can do, instead of who he is.

The Aquinos are good in DEMONIZING their political opponents. Look at Gloria Arroyo; the Binays; the Marcoses; etc…their Media tools are in place: TV, Newspapers, radio broadcasts, troll bloggers, etc… However, if you look closely at the Records of the Aquinos. They are enemy’s collaborators; Thieves; Political Opportunists of the worse kind…etc…the Hacienda Luisita is a Concrete Evidence of their Greed. Add them to Aquino’s : DAP, PDAF, Pork Barrel Bribery; now the BBL Law… The Aquinos shelved the Land Reform Peogram, to protect their Hacienda Luisita. They want to keep the Philippine in Feudal Oligarchy… Many cahoots of Aquino… Read more »

do you know that benigno aquino the father of pinoy is NPA my friend went to tarlak to visit thier relative and at midnight when he woke up nobody is home all the relative are out when he look out side the house he saw aquino sr.providing guns to all resident when his uncle saw him outside he told him to back ti manila because if they see himm they will kill him my friend told me that aquino is comander dante

I like the way you write benigno, I don’t know how old you are, but you sometimes remind me of Phistar’s Max Soliven. I disagree with you on this one; being a catholic and original sin as the reason why some filipino’s still hate not only him, but his entire family. I hated them before because that was thought to me by the teachers in schools and also by the media. I was told that Meralco and MWSS was acquired by the Marcoses for personal gain. As I grow old, and started paying my own bills, I realized that, electricity… Read more »

Sir, i have this same notion…that as long as those who were behind the downfall of FEM Are alive and continue to use all avenues (the ACADEME for one ) continues to inject into the minds of the youths negative impression upon the Marcoses, the stigma that was caused by the events during the Marcos Regime will linger for so many years. The sin of the Father cannot be transferred to an innocent Son. However, as It was stated in this niteworthy commentary or whatever people may call this, THE SON HAS TO SUFFER FOR THE PITFALLS OF THE FATHER.… Read more »

There have been other countries in Asia (I can think of two off the top of my head) where the son of a dictator has been instrumental in turning their country around, and others where people linked to dictatorial parties have made good politicians. I’m not convinced someone who calls himself Bong Bong is likely to be the sharpest tool in the box, but as you said, people should judge on results, not appearances.

Really!? The Marcoses are the most pathetic excuses of all human beings. Just see Bongbong, Imee or Imelda’s faces on TV living the life of Riley disgusts me, knowing that all the money they’ve stolen during their plunder from the Filipino people during 1965-86 they hadn’t return yet. I will never vote for any them, the moment I heard one of them once said, that the nearly 10,000 victims of torture, murder, rape and forced disappearances during Martial Law were merely “collateral damage”.

How about the million dollars from the marcoses that peping conjuanco claimed he lost in his baggage in new york? How about the billion worth of jewelries, accessories and other things imelda left in malacañang that are now publicly being used by aquino sisters?

“…all the money they’ve stolen during their plunder from the Filipino people during 1965-86 they hadn’t return yet…”
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All the evidence that money were stolen comes from the Supreme Court decision that essentially asserts “unexplained therefore plundered”. In any case, Marcos wrote about his so-called wealth as early as January 1970 in his diary and also about specific acts he did to divest himself of it through a foundation.

Read about the Mendiola Massacre in 1983, which is before the 1987 Mendiola Massacre. And Escalante Massacre. In fact 10,000 victims is a conservative estimate. According to Amnesty International, the number could be as high as 35,000. That doesn’t include the number of people who were jailed without due process (during Martial Law when there was no habeas corpus), which number in the 70,000s. Victims range from students, professors, journalists, priests. Like some of the radicals you’d see demonstrating against PNoy. I heard Marcos was allegedly quoted, “Hooray, hooray! Now we had to deal with one individual!” Whoever that is.… Read more »

It is nice to quote numbers, 35,000… 70,000 yet how did they arrive at those, you never ask. In any case, a comprehensive accounting of those who died, lost, tortured, jailed without due process, and detailing of the “crimes” committed on them and the circumstances surrounding their cases should be conducted. The perpetrators should be identified and their commanders and why did they commit such crimes. Did Marcos order directly or indirectly their rape, torture, killing and disappearance? As for those wealth, unexplained or hidden does not necessarily mean plundered or as having criminal origins. There is a basis to… Read more »

“…the nearly 10,000 victims of torture, murder, rape and forced disappearances during Martial Law…” _____________________________ What kind of evil would be capable of that, indeed!? Ten thousand victims in all. The number and heartrending description alone make one blood boil in hate of whoever could have been responsible. Until you find out who they are and what they represent. ” (It)… is a consolidated case of three groups who sued Marcos in the Hawaii Court in 1986. The three groups were the SELDA group of 9,539; the group of 21 Filipino expatriates in the US led by Vic Clemente and… Read more »

wake up bugbunny iknow that you are paid blogger of aquino ..what can you say about the people that die in the rally in cory aquino when she was the president..???people die intarlak and memdiola and the people killed by the NPA aquino sr is commander dante of NPA do you have evidence that the marcos family stollen money ???how about the money that pinoy stollent from, the donation of the other country ??what happen to the house that they build ???GMA donate about 300 house already lacson resign because aquno will not released the fund (money) for the house… Read more »

I’m not paid. In fact I even have some complaints for the Aquinos, like the shady origins of the Cojuangco wealth (Cory’s family). Or Cory’s initial encouragement for the deadly, anti-communist, right-wing vigilante groups, like Rock Christ and Alsa Masa, the latter of which related to a certain Davao City mayor (Although later she wanted them to disband, but without effect). Or PAL Building scandal. Or the Cory government’s giving in to imposing the US influenced-neoliberal economic policies on our country, which is limiting industrialization.

You may not be paid but you sure are stupid. Learn to differentiate between ferdinand marcos and bongbong marcos. Whatever the father has done should not be blamed on the son. You are such a Typical filipino moron.

For me Bongbong Marcos’ desire to seek redempton shall bring forth good results to our nation. Just imagine putting yourself into his shoes and you where given the chance to lead the nation, of course your going to make it good to all the best you can in order for you to redeem the bad image not only our nation thought but the whole world thought about you & your family. After all Bongbong Marcos is a good senator and for me he is qualified to become president someday.

I am not a Catholic but Im a Baptist and I just want to remind those unforgiving Catholics to the Marcos familiy that St.Paul who is one of the most important disciples whom Catholics prayed and worship was once of the worst enemy of Christians. He was a Roman officer who was assigned to persecute and behead Christians until Christ found him and turned him into a disciple. Yun lang po!

Sen Bong Bong Marcos is a person with dignity generous and sincere who among them to all senators who delivered to their constituents a projects wherein they enjoyed like the electricity maybe the lowest rate compared to the Meralco (CROOKS) and that is the Windmills that produced electricity in Ilocos Norte the good roads and bridges and other worthy projects, now he is fighting for the BBL because its unconstitutional he really deserves to become the next President in the Philippine Republic, EX President Marcos is still the greatest President and no one can surpassed him when it comes to… Read more »

The windmills are not supplying cheap electricity here in Ilocos Norte. The power they generate from them are being sold to another electric power company and not directly to INEC. Our monthly electric bills are very far from cheap. These windmills are more of tourist attractions rather than generating cheap electricity for the people of Ilocos Norte.

i think the main purpose of the windmills are not immediately for cheaper electicity but to generate more power to ease brownouts. ilocos norte is at the end of the power grid and the electricity supply reaches the province w/ lower power.the windmills i think eases the more frequent brownouts coz at least the province has supply of its own. business is also better now after the windmills were installed.

yes only ex president ferdinand marcos is the best lots of projects that all filipinos is using only fools is not appreciating ,,so his jr bbm even they are destroying his image every body knows he is doing well is job as senator ,,he is saving our country especially now the bbl ,,so lord must bless him protect him for 2016

Bong Bong’ Ftaher’s ‘alleged sin’s’. PLEASE, with that one dude. That is like saying Charles Manson,although he murdered no one,is not guilty of conspiracy to kill 9 people, HE DID IT ! AND FERDINAND MARCOS WAS A CRIMINAL DICTATOR.He stole almost everything that was worth anyting and when the fury of ’86 subsided,just lke his maters promised him would happen, he ans his family slithered back into the country.NEWSFLASH:Their money NEVER LEFT though. Look, until these dynastic oligarchies are abolished and done away with,once and for all, and some new ‘FRESH BLOOD’ and a new way of doing things is… Read more »

I don’t think it is about Bonget being “guilty of his father’s alleged sins.” It is just that this is an emotional issue for a good many. In my case, it was my family, or our clan to be exact, that was one of those that was directly hit by the systematic grab by FM of profitable businesses. Our old people in the family owned the magnetite iron mines in the North. The business was no near in size to say, those of the Lopezes, Jacintos, etc, so it didn’t warrant any headline when it was grabbed as say when… Read more »

God bless you and your family add. Your story is quite inspiring. Thank you. And thank you for defending us Catholics. I love everything that you said. Forgiveness is indeed synonym tp freedom. Your family was free the moment you learned to forgive. Thank you for the inspiration. Mabuhay po kayo.

Keeping an open mind is key here. For so long, Filipinos have voted on the bases of anything but issues-based platforms. The ascent of President BS Aquino to power was the culmination of a growing tradition of blindness to achievement track records. Hopefully the disaster of his presidency will serve as a lesson and, hopefully, contribute to helping Filipino voters see the importance of taking their votes seriously.

Yeah, the idea of being “open-minded” in the Philippines needs to be qualified further.

One cannot simply be open-minded without applying a bit of intelligence to said openness.

The sort of “open-mindedness” that led to the presidency of President BS Aquino, for example, is characterised more by recklessness than by mindful consideration. The irony here is that there was really no openness then (in the same way that there is none even now) because the choices are still limited to the same tradition that frames Philippine politics — dynasties, oligarchs, and shallow rhetoric that passes off as political “debate”.

We cannot afford not to be OPEN-MINDED these days, Benign0. It is now very common for Malacañang to lie thru their teeth. We have to look at every angle, otherwise it would be very easy for them to hoodwink us. IDK, it must have been their close association with MILF that the Palace have now learned the art of Taqiyya. Oh boy, have they learned!! They are putting to shame even Muhammed at the way they apply Taqiyya. Even Machiavelli would not have imagined there could be a science in lying. I am not sure if I am exagerrating, but… Read more »

And you commented but didn’t do research. Man up! Special Diploma in Oxford is equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree in the Philippines. The like of this man made the country in deep shit. Basta may masabing lang!

The reality is that the people have no desire for an empire. This is not to say that they don’t want the benefits, both economic and strategic. It simply means that they don’t want to pay the price. Economically, people want the growth potential of open markets but not the pains. Politically, they want to have an enormous influence, but not the resentment of the world. Military, they want to be protected from dangers but not to bear the burdens of long-term strategy. There is usually a moment in the life of a new president when he begins to see… Read more »

To live in Yesterday’s past is the wisdom of a Fool. Let us all live in the present…the Aquinos have many baggages in the past…

Filipinos Japanese Imperial Army collaborators, led by Benigno Aquino,Sr., were the cause of many death of Filipino guerrillas fighting the Japanese occupation. There are also many murders committed in the name of Hacienda Luisita and the NPA.

Marcos dictatorship caused many death and disappearances. Marcos made many rich Filipinos suffer.

If we remain to be stuck in the Past. Then, we cannot solve our problems. Let us all MOVE ON, and live in the present…

That is the glaring problem with my fellow pinoys /pinays. Every issue becomes a personal attack, be it the name, who associated with or the worse-hearsay. With the opportunity I have to learn and understand history and its participants, I have understood every historic relevance attached to our politicians. FM was who he was, BBM I believe has a lot more knowledge and intelligence to surpass his father granted he will be given an intellectual chance by the people. Of course, there are other equally experienced and younger politicians but, it does come down to ” What can you do… Read more »

If Bongbong Marcos files a candidacy for the presidency in October, that act by itself (just the filing) will be a symbolic slap in the face of PNoy. It would an insult on the Aquinos, even if Bongbong himself is married to one who is of the Aquino clan. The downside of that is that 2016 will deteriorate into personal attacks. Because it will be personal, media will focus on Bongbong vs PNoy’s candidate, but really, directly or indirectly, on PNoy himself. Binay and all the rest of the candidates will be fighting for air-time, but would end up as… Read more »

@Add, The instinct to hold a grudge against someone who did you wrong and extend that to their kin and descendants is very powerful and profound. It is probably one of the key aspects of the human condition that shaped most of our history. How those of us who fell victim to atrocities and injustices that happened during Marcos’s time move on or, in this case, deal with a possible rise of BBM is a personal choice. The words you put forth in your other comment articulated one such journey and you gotta be admired for the thinking and reflection… Read more »

It’s funny. PNoy is trying to extract or force a legacy out BBL, but in the process and at the rate things are going, he is actually giving Bongbong that legacy, that is, if Bongbong comes out with the best BBL ever.

Forgive? Forget ? IDK? Turn the other cheek? IDK? but if you stole my Ftaher’s anything, or even worse murdered him,OH FUCK !!!! Look out Mu-fugga, your gonna have a mad MAN after your ass, oh yes you are.That is why I think ‘BS’ Aquino is a pussy, he let Marcos kill his Father and did not even beat the shit out of Marcos son.That being the least he could do. IDK if I could sit in the same Senate chamber with the guy whose Father killed my Father without going after the the Son of the guy who killed… Read more »

Let us all FOCUS on the real issues of our country. The Problems that are needed to be solved. The BBL Law railroaded by Aquino, that will fund MILF/ISIS/Al Queda. The DAP, PDAF, Pork Barrel bribery, Aquino did in his term. His virtual hold on the Congress and the Judicial system.Making him a “virtual dictator”. China’s grabbing of Philippine territories, one at a time. Candidate’s Plaform/Plans, and vision for our country. How to solve the transport system; yearly floods; the Squatter problem. Runaway inflation… How to control the Filipinos, multiplying like Rabbits. How to increase rice production, and not import… Read more »

We are also interested on the Land Reform Program; shelved by the Aquinos to protect their Hacienda Luisita. Most of our ruling “politicos” are “hacienderos”.
We are interested on how to get our country out from Feudal Oligarchy. Feudalism must go, it has no place in the 21st century…

Sen. Bongbong has his father’s face and slight intellegence but don’t have his mother and father’s charisma which he needed right now. But as I far as I can sense; Sen. Bongbong really walking slow not because he wanted to be but because he is just waiting for the right time. Politics is all about timing, he needs patience in able to hit the nail right and to at least not to look back. In short, he’s very careful, intellegent and he knows what’s he wants and definitely he needs Media to boost his image. Good luck!

Aquino already destroyed MARCOS name and made it synonymous with Evil. So why run President? it’s better to concentrate on being a King maker by secretly support a candidate that can effectively defeat, overthrow or destroy their nemesis (Aquino) and clean his family name. Also, he’s father FM was to blame for our predicaments in the past (20+29yrs b4 & after EDSA), present and future. FM served the longest President. He was very bright & a strongman that he forgot he’s only mortal. FM failed to create a pool of Leaders to succeed him mainly due to poor vision &… Read more »